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Monthly Archives: April 2017

WFTU Statement on May Day 2017
20 Apr 2017
1 MAY , MAY DAY
“But, if you think That by hanging us, you can stamp out the labor movement – the movement from the downtrodden millions, the millions Who toil and live in want and misery – the Slavic wage – expect salvation – if this is your opinion, Then hang us! Here you will tread upon a spark, purpose there, and there, and behind you and in front of you, and everywhere, flames will blaze up. It is a subterranean fire. You can not put it out.”

August Spies, 31, on August 20, 1886. One of the leaders hanged in Chicago, USA.

The World Federation of Trade Unions on the occasion of the International Workers’ Day on May 1st conveys its militant greetings to all the workers of the planet Who struggle for the fulfillment of Their contemporary needs through their trade union organisations.

May Day is a landmark in the workers’ Struggles all over the world, since 1886 the demands of migrant workers in Chicago are still relevant today. Their continuous struggle today in the struggle for permanent work with rights, social security, free health and education, dignified life. Like Then, in Chicago the migrant workers, who had gone to the USA for work, Stood in the first line of the class struggle, aussi Nowadays the millions of migrant workers can Intensify the Struggles contre capitalist barbarity with active Their and militant participation in the trade unions.

This year is marked by the sharpening of the intra-imperialist Antagonisms because qui Even Greater intensification of the exploitation of the peoples, as well as the risk of a generalized war. The Developments in Africa, Middle East, Asia and Europe Prove the aggressiveness of the capital Against the workers’ movement, make Thousands of people turn to immigration to escape the war zone, while the US and the European governments pretend That They Want to help the Refugees to survive.

The workers all over the world are worried about the aggressiveness of the US government, of NATO and Their Allies Who in order to gain new markets and rob the natural resources of the countries, are Bombarding the peoples of Syria, are killing children in Palestine are pushing the Venezuelan people to civil conflict, are Threatening with the use of nuclear weapons in the Korean peninsula area. They are Those Who dropped the Largest conventional bomb in Afghanistan, They Are la même Imperialists Who Support and Collaborate with gouvernement du Ukraine qui est supported by fascists, They Are la même Who Tolerate media and the Israeli policies in the Middle East.

These intra-imperialist Antagonisms are Deteriorating Even More the financial position of the workers and the pensioners. There is a generalized cut in salaries and pensions, privatizations in social security, public health and education, Increase of unemployment, “black” work and restrictions of trade union Freedoms. In this general picture the working class and the peoples are being prepared for the celebration of the militant May Day 2017.

The WFTU calls its affiliates and friends in every corner of the world to honor the International Workers’ Day with every means clustering and in Any Way possible to unite Their voices and shout:

“We organizes our struggle Against the Imperialistic barbarity, for the contemporary needs of the people and the youth, for a world without exploitation and wars”

The WFTU Representing 92 million workers in every continent of the world conveys icts internationalist solidarity to the heroic people of Cuba Who will host the WFTU Presidential Council on May 3rd-5th, to the workers of the world Who are fighting Against the imperialistic aggressiveness.

In 2017, partner after the 17th World Trade Union Congress, the WFTU is stronger, with new strengths, new affiliates, Above All aim with ict resolutions.

We are organizing Even More Strongly Widely and our common stock in every country, in every continent, for the emancipation of the working class, for the struggle for our rights and needs. Against the operating system That provokes poverty, wars and Refugees.

The peoples’ enemies are not invincible,
Invincible are the Struggling Peoples.

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Variable DA for contract workers have been increased w.e.f. 01-04-2017 and the orders have been issued by the Chief Labour Commissioner(Central) on 20-04-2017. The orders are put in the website of BSNLCCWF, bsnlccwf.com

Accordingly an unskilled worker in C class city will now get Rs. 359 per day. For semiskilled, skilled and highly skilled as also in B class and A class cities it will be higher. A skilled worker in A class city will get Rs. 653 per day.

Since BSNL Corporate Office has already issued order that there is no necessity to endorse such orders to the circles as they are government orders. Circle Secretaries of BSNLEU and BSNLCCWF should see that these orders are got implemented in full.

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The Central Executive Committee meeting of the BSNLCCWF held at New Delhi on 19th April 2017 (with the participation of available members), has called upon the workers to organise May Day on 1st May 2017, by hoisting the red flag of the Federation and demanding the BSNL Management to urgently implement the increased wages for the casual and contract workers.

The wages of the Casual labour are to be paid at the rate of Rs. 18,000 per month as recommended by VII CPC and accepted by the government for the Group D employees. The contract workers are to be paid Rs. 350 to Rs. 693 per day ( different for unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled and also for C class, B class and A class cities) as per the order dated 17-03-2017 issued by the Chief Labour Commissioner. BSNLCCWF had already met the CLC and BSNL Management demanding early implementation.

Make maximum effort for making the May Day Programme a great success. Participate in the joint demonstration etc. with other trade unions.

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As part of implementing the Bibek Debroy report, central government is proposing to privatise many railway stations in the name of modernisation, providing more facilities etc. Chennai and Kozhikode are two of these railway stations.

The intention is to hand over the railway stations to the private so that the latter can utilise the land, construct buildings, do their business and garner huge profit. They will loot the travellers by increasing price for everything in the station, including food. The hard experience of the privatisation of airports is before us.

This attack on the Railways and the public/travellers has to be opposed and defeated as was done in the case of privatisation of Chennai and Kolkata airports by the people of T.Nadu and W.Bengal. It is appreciated that the trade unions, on the initiative of the railway unions, have opposed the anti-worker anti-people decision.

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IT major WIPRO Limited is proposing to retrench about 600 workers. Its argument is the retrenchment is necessary to make the company more efficient. Such flimsy arguments are always floated to justify hire and fire / retrenchment.

New Delhi, April 13: The workers of Haryana Roadways Corporation irrespective of affiliations had been on strike since 10th April 2017 opposing award of 1600 permits to private operators to ply on 253 routes by the BJP Government of Haryana. In these 253 routes mainly the Haryana Roadways buses have been plying. The game plan is to push the state-owned Haryana Roadways Corporation to unviability leading to its sickness paving way for total privatization of passenger transport system in the state.

The strike is being conducted by all the unions of Haryana Roadways workers and the strike is total even on the fourth day. Workers are determined to resist the ugly game plan of the BJP Govt of Haryana to completely privatise the passenger transport services in the state much to the detriment of the interests of people and Roadways workers which will only benefit the private operators and those in the Government handling the contracts. The BJP-run State Government unleashed severe repression on the workers and more than 150 union leaders have been put under suspension. Braving all repression, strike is continuing totally demonstrating total unity of the workers and common people in general came forward in supporting the strike action denouncing the nefarious conspiracy of the state government for privatization of bus services.

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions congratulates the Haryana Roadways workers for their heroic strike struggle and extends all support to their struggle against privatization. Already CITU unions and other mass organizations in Haryana have been organizing solidarity programmes throughout the state. CITU calls upon the working class to stand by the continuing strike struggles by the Haryana Roadway workers against privatization and demands upon the State Government of Haryana to refrain from their retrograde decision, withdraw all victimization and end the stalemate in consultation with the unions.

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Bharat Ratna Dr. B.R.Ambedkar, the great social reformer and architect of the Indian Constitution, was born 126 years back on 14th April 1891. His life was full of struggles against untouchability and other social ills imposed on the dalits and the underprivileged. A scholar of great knowledge and highly academically qualified, Dr. Ambedkar was the proper person to steer the constitution of Independent India. Hence he is also considered as the Architect of the Constitution. He has written a large number of books on various social issues.
Many memorials and statues of Dr. Ambedkar are spread all over India in his memory.

On his 186th Birth Anniversary, we remember his great contribution to the society and pay respectful homage to him.

14th April is the New Year Day and Festival in many parts of the country. It is celebrated in the name of Vishu, Bhihu, Vaisakhi, Tamil New Year, Maisakhadi, Vaisakhadi and other such names. This time being Friday, it is also the Good Friday, piously observed by the Christians all over the world.

On this day, my Warm Greetings and Best Wishes to all friends, comrades and well wishers!

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The following report in the press shows, how neo-liberal policies are creating millionaires and billionaires in the country. As at present there are 283 persons with assets of more than Rs. 200 crores. This might have been calculated on the official records or based on the taxes paid. But if black money, undeclared assets are also taken in to consideration, the number may almost double. This increase is while crores of people are living in poverty and distress.

“PTI

New Delhi, Apr 11 Continuing with upward trend, the number of people showing gross assets exceeding Rs 200 crore increased to 283 in the country during the last financial year ended March 31.
The number of such individual taxpayers was 195 in the previous fiscal, 2015-16, Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
The number has been increasing over the past few years. In 2013-14, the number of individual taxpayers with gross assets exceeding Rs 200 crore was 107. It moved up to 134 in 2014-15.
To a query whether India occupies second position in terms of increase in the number of billionaires, Ganagwar said: “No such information is available.”
The government policies are geared towards promoting inclusiveness in growth and reducing the gap between the rich and the poor through specific measures, he said while replying to the query whether “the country’s policies are making the rich persons richer and the poor persons poorer”.
The increasing formalisation of the economy and the reduction in unaccounted incomes that demonetisation can bring about is expected to release significant resources for the government to further pursue its inclusive policies and create opportunities for the poor in the medium-term, he added.
The reply stated that the information on the number of people with gross assets exceeding Rs 200 crore “is based upon that data as reported by individual taxpayers in Schedule – AL of Income Tax Return…(It) is otherwise not used for any computation purposes while processing the Return and hence, the reported data is not verified”.
Replying to a separate query, Gangwar said that as on March 1, 2017, 48,48,641 taxpayers had enrolled on GST portal.
He also said the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax would mark a clear departure from the scheme of distribution of fiscal power envisaged in the Constitution.
GST will also broaden the tax base and result better tax compliance due to robust IT infrastructure, he said.” (Courtesy: Ganashakti)